“What are we going to do?” The armor on his body was tattered, and his hair was messy. He was more concerned about the cloud of dust rising along the horizon.

“What else can we do?” The armament of the person with whom the first man was conversing was also inadequate. The scar on the armor, if anything, served only to highlight the extreme torture it had endured.

Yet he was smiling. As if the horde of barbarians that was charging towards the fort didn’t worry him at all. 

“General?” The first man cried. The smile on the general’s face made him more irritated. But all emotion he could muster right now was fear. He asked, “Are we going to die?”

“Didn’t you ask the same question last year?” The general couldn’t help but rub his head. “You have a wife, right?”

He frowned, not understanding why the general had brought up his family now. Nonetheless, he nodded.

“Good. You can leave then.”

“What?” he was confused. As he came a step closer, he realized the general was drunk. He was terrified just thinking about an army of barbarians charging at the fort.

And, just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, he discovered that the commander of the empire's final fort was drunk.

“Don’t worry, Rahu. The army of the imperial capital will be here soon.”

“They were supposed to be here the day before yesterday.”

“They said an imperial descendent was leading the army.” The general spoke like he couldn’t hear Rahu’s argument.

“I heard the third prince was an abandoned heir. No one in the imperial court was supporting him.”

“Even if he is a freak, he is still of imperial blood. There is no way he could be a weakling.”

“He is half barbarian. What would happen if they change sides?”

“Even if he switches sides, the army will still stand by us.”

“Army isn’t even that big. I heard they didn’t even have 5000 soldiers with them this time.” Although Rahu didn’t want to, he couldn’t stop himself from breaking the general’s daydream.

Yet, the general was smiling. Looking at the army of barbarians that had already come out of the forest, he said, “I don’t think today is the day.”

“Day for what?” Rahu was a little confused.

“The day we die.” The general rubbed Rahu’s hair, explaining, “we are not going to die today. The wind is good.”

“Huh!” Rahu couldn't figure out what it had to do with him not dying today. And before he could inquire, the general had already started addressing the soldiers inside the wall. And it was as ridiculous as it had always been.

“Today, we are not going to die.” And there was pin-drop silence. The silence lasted only a moment before the entire army burst out laughing.

“The great prophet had spoken.” The man who spoke first was the leader of the Knight squad. Or whatever was left of it.

Rahu looked at the army. The soldiers he had fought with for the last five years. They all knew very well what was about to come. They knew they could really die today. Yet they were laughing.

“I have to depend on the bloody baron today again.” The general gave a military salute to the man leading the knight, who was leading the knight squad.

“That is what I'm supposed to do.” The bloody baron put on his helmet, saying, “The commander's only responsibility is to keep the people inside the wall safe. I should rely on the commander to keep my family and friends safe.”

Rahu had never understood why a noble of the empire would bow to the orders of a drunken man who wasn't even a superior general.

The general smiled and looked outside the wall again. He was sure the barbarian wave wouldn’t even need ten minutes to reach the fort.

So he turned towards the archers lined up on the wall. Most of them weren’t even soldiers. Many of them were women without any army training. Nonetheless, their gaze was more determined than some of his men.

“Here we are again.” the woman smiled at him. “It’s becoming more like our yearly festival.”

“I have to depend on the baroness again.” The general gave a silly smile.

“No, we must rely on the general to keep us safe.” 

“General.” As they greeted each other for what may be the last time in their life, one of the soldiers came running at them.

"The capital's army has arrived," the soldiers reported as he struggled to catch his breath.

“Where?” The baroness and the general yelled at the same time. The man quickly handed him a letter.

The general quickly read the letter and handed it to the baroness. He turned to the west. The terrain to the west was slightly higher than the grassland between the barbarian forest and the fort.

So he didn’t notice it before. But now that he looked closely, he could see an emerald flag fluttering in the direction. It was strategically placed so no one could see it unless they were in a high position.

“Then why are they hiding?” The baroness crumbled the letter in her hand and glared in the direction the imperial army was hiding.

“Because the prince wanted to destroy as many barbarians he can.”

“He what?” The general wanted to ask more questions. But he was stopped by the talking fox. It wasn't just him; everyone was taken aback. Even Rahu had pulled out his sword.

“Before you try anything stupid, take a look at this.” Nuage waved her hand, and an emerald badge appeared out of the air. “I am the messenger of the imperial prince, Hilda Sunborne.”

“This is an imperial badge. The third prince?”

Nuage nodded, answering, “The prince had said to prepare three flags. There will be 1500 infantry and 700 knights and squires. They will reach here soon. You need a black flag to communicate with them. They are in the south.”

“An army of 1400 infantry and 300 light cavalry and squires were in the west. You need to use a red flag to fight with them. Also, use a green flag to order the 200 soldiers hiding in the barbarian forest.”

“In the forest?”

“Only 200?”

All of them were shocked. But, no matter how intoxicated the general was, he was the only one who saw the big picture. He asked, “Why did the prince divide the army in three?”

“It looks like the prince wasn’t wrong about you,” Nuage sounded proud, explaining, “the army in the south might retreat in the face of danger. The Ashgard Knight leads the army hiding in the west. And the army in the forest wouldn’t mind fighting till death.”

“We can see the soldier on the south. At their pace, they will be here within an hour.” The soldier quickly reported.

“An hour?” The baroness frowned. “It appears the prince has no intention of fighting in the battle.”

“The prince isn’t with that army.” The general calmly explained.

“Then where? The west?” The baroness looked towards the west but couldn’t be sure of it. It wasn't until she looked at the general that she realized he was looking at the barbarian forest.

“There is no way he could be there.” Even Rahu couldn’t believe it.

“Why not?” The general smiled, explaining, “that is the safest place to hide. He doesn’t have to worry about being attacked.”

“What if the barbarians retreat?” Rahu couldn’t help asking.

“Have you ever seen a barbarian feeling from the battlefield?” The general smirked, answering, “The only time you can see a barbarian retreat is when the sun goes down.”

“Then what are we going to do?”

“Archers!” The general smiled, shouting, “get ready.”

The archers were lined across the high wall. They were ready with their bows. Each of them had a stack of hay in front of them. And tens of arrows were stabbed at them.

As soon as the general shouted, all the bows on the wall were at full tension. Even the bow of the baroness wasn’t any different. 

“Rahu, tell the man to get a green and a red flag ready.” 

Rahu nodded and sent his man to find some pieces of clothes. But he couldn’t help asking, “what about the black flag?”

“Do you think all nobles of the imperial capital would be willing to follow the order of a second-grade general?”

Of course, he knew. After all, the army would be led by a noble from the imperial capital. It is the story of every year. And he knew how they behave towards them.

And it just made him wonder more. “Will the imperial prince follow your order?”

“Do you think the prince is some kind of coward?” Nuage frowned.

“He will.” The general explained. “Even if he doesn't want to, he's here to prove himself, and a losing war won't help him.”

“But if he dies here?”

"Then why don't we put the prince's strength to the test first?" The general's expression was anything but reassuring.

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